Single Gen Z women are significantly outpacing their male counterparts in the pursuit of homeownership, according to new survey data from the National Association of Realtors.
Single women within the generation accounted for 35% of all Gen Z homebuyers, while single Gen Z men represented just 18%, according to the NAR survey.
The group surveyed people who bought a home between July 2024 and June 2025. The survey included homebuyers from several generations, from Gen Z, ages 18-26, to the Silent Generation, ages 80 to 100. No other generation had a bigger share of single women homebuyers than Gen Z.
Despite this trend, Gen Zers, defined as those born between 1999 and 2011, still constitute a mere 4% of all homebuyers during the survey period. The overall share of U.S. homes bought by first-time buyers across all age groups also hit a record low, the lowest since 1981.
First-time buyers often lack the equity from a previous home to contribute to a down payment, a challenge Bri LaFluer navigated successfully. After years of diligently saving half her income, working two jobs, and benefiting from a cooling housing market, she purchased her own home in 2023 at age 24.
"I’ve always been a really independent person and I just wanted my own place to have peace and quiet by myself," said LaFluer, now 27. A content creator for a video game company, LaFluer lived with her mom and paid a modest rent, which helped her save up faster for the $20,000 down payment.
Her home search began in 2021, but historically low mortgage rates had fueled an ultra-competitive market and turbocharged prices. Two years later, she finally secured a three-bedroom, 1.5-bath house with a large yard, built in 1900, in Baldwinsville, N.Y., for $175,000.
“I feel like it was meant to be and this just ended up being the perfect house for me and my dogs,”she said.
Aspiring Gen Z homeowners face a number of challenges to affording a home: They’re typically just getting started in their careers, with their best income-earning years ahead. They are unlikely to be married and may have student loans to pay off.
Their median annual income of $76,000, as of 2024, also was the lowest compared to homebuyers from all other generations, according to NAR.
Years of soaring home prices have further stretched the limits of affordability. While home price growth has slowed and prices have fallen in many metro areas, prices are mostly still rising. The median U.S. home sales price stood at $417,700 last month, up 0.9% from a year earlier, according to NAR.
Despite these hurdles, Gen Z homebuyers are more inclined to receive financial assistance from family. Many are also adept at exploring community grants or other payment assistance programs for first-time buyers, with one in ten even tapping into their 401(k) retirement savings for a down payment, according to NAR.
Other home shoppers, like Mariah Berry, rely solely on their own savings. While many of her college peers were enjoying their post-graduation freedom, Berry focused on frugality.
"I did not go out and was driving an old beat-up car," said Berry, a social media content creator. "It was not fun."
Her disciplined saving paid off in 2023 when, at just 23, she bought her two-bedroom, one-bath home in Charleston, Tennessee, for $218,000.
Berry had always aspired to homeownership, a goal that gained urgency after a period of living in short-term rentals or couch surfing with friends. She made a $7,000 down payment and financed the remainder with a 30-year mortgage at 6% interest.
"I do think it’s pretty frickin’ awesome that I’m a homeowner and that I became a homeowner at 23," she said, recalling her initial anxiety. "I will say that after I put in the offer, I wanted to puke. I was like, ’Oh my God, did I do the right thing?'"
Berry is now considering purchasing the other half of her duplex, seeing it as a potential opportunity to rent out a unit.
The NAR survey data reinforces a broader, longstanding trend: single women across all generations are becoming homeowners at higher rates than single men. In the July 2024-June 2025 period, single women constituted a quarter of all homebuyers, compared to 11% for single men. This pattern dates back to at least 1981, with single women's share peaking at 22% in 2006 during the mid-2000s housing boom, while single men's share peaked at 12% in 2010.
Experts suggest there isn't a single explanation for why single women consistently outnumber single men in homeownership.
Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist, points to women's higher college attendance rates, which can lead to increased incomes. She also highlights a strong desire among women for homeownership as a means to secure independence, a path historically difficult for them to pursue alone.
"It wasn’t until the 1970s where women were legally protected to have a mortgage on their own," Lautz noted. "And they have embraced this and been very strongly embracing this."
